KEVIN Keegan had the look of a broken man when he quit as England coach following defeat by Germany at Wembley in October.

Brutally honest about his own shortcomings on the international stage, his confidence was shattered, and there were many who believed he had been lost to football management for good.

It is good to have him back in the game as boss at Manchester City because football needs his sincerity, his intelligence and his charisma.

There will be people around the country who would not previously have cared for Manchester City who will now hope to see them return swiftly to the Premiership and prosper because Kevin Keegan is perceived as a decent man.

There is, however, always a gamble when it comes to Keegan. The fact that he is susceptible to pressure was underlined a number of times during his Newcastle reign: his initial walk-out before he was coaxed back by Sir John Hall; and his televised outburst over Alex Ferguson.

It was demonstrated again by his instinctive decision to resign from England in the middle of a World Cup qualifying campaign.

Keegan is not a safe bet. He is emotional and unpredictable.

But, despite his failure as England coach, fans and players love him. He has star quality, he is a supreme motivator and a public relations dream.

How many Middlesbrough fans will be wishing his comeback was taking place at the Riverside, rather than at Maine Road?

No cash without safety pledge

THE country is rapidly losing patience with Railtrack. Our railway infrastructure is a shambles, and yet the company wants another £2bn of taxpayers' money for improvements.

And all the time, Railtrack is dragging its heels over the dangerous state of railway bridges nationwide, despite the horror of the Selby disaster.

Arguments are raging over who should pick up the bill for improvements at bridges such as the dangerous crossing highlighted by The Northern Echo at Plawsworth.

Durham County Council is to be applauded for taking the initiative and spending £20,000 on improvements but Railtrack shows no signs of urgency to respond.

Not a single penny of public money should be handed over until Railtrack demonstrates a clear intention to take its responsibilities for railway safety seriously.